Cadillac didn’t shine with fast times or many laps on the first day of testing, but the team actually sees the problems that arose in a positive light.
For Cadillac, the serious business of Formula 1 began yesterday, Monday. The American newcomer took to the track for the first time to meet the other teams, having already conducted its own shakedown.
In the first test in Barcelona, Cadillac still lagged behind the competition: Valtteri Bottas completed just over 30 laps in the morning and set a time of 1:24.651 minutes, while his teammate Sergio Perez took over in the afternoon but only managed eleven laps and a time of 1:25.974 minutes.
By comparison, Isack Hadjar’s best time of the day was 1:18.159 minutes, almost six and a half seconds faster than the fastest Cadillac time, which was also – with the exception of Audi – almost three seconds slower than the times of all other teams.
Bottas: It’s about debugging
But performance is not currently on the newcomer’s list of priorities anyway: “I managed a little over 30 laps today, some of which were just installation laps and stuff like that,” Bottas reveals, “but we need to get to the point where we can drive properly, increase the mileage, and make sure we have a reliable package for the first race.”
The Americans still have a lot of work to do in this regard, as Cadillac completed the fewest laps of all teams after Audi on Monday. “We had a few problems throughout the day,” says Bottas.
But he also says: “It’s all about debugging, that’s why we’re here, and it seems like every team has had problems. It’s really about understanding those now and then getting more and more driving done every day, but it’s just great to be here and in the car.”
Teammate Sergio Perez, however, sees these problems in a positive light: “We had a lot of problems today, which is good,” said the Mexican. “It’s our first day, so it was positive in that respect.” Because: “You want all the problems to come up now, and hopefully the next few days will be much smoother for us.”
Lowdon: Problem solving instead of more laps
Team boss Graeme Lowdon would agree with his drivers and sees debugging as the “crucial point for us.” According to him, Cadillac could have done a few more laps in the afternoon, but the focus was on solving specific problems and making sure they were fixed.
“And that’s the most important thing,” he says. “We are very fortunate this year to have a shakedown week this week and then two more tests in Bahrain. So we are fully focused on using this time in Barcelona to test all these systems and iron out the various teething problems so that we can then go full throttle in Bahrain.”
He himself is “very satisfied” with the progress Cadillac has made so far. “We still have more work to do this week, but everything is following a structured plan. So I’m very happy with how things are developing.”
Big moment for Cadillac
Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that it was a special moment for the newcomer to take part in a real session with the competition for the first time. “It’s a big step, and it’s perfectly okay if we take a moment to allow ourselves to feel these emotions,” says Lowdon.
Nevertheless, in a way, it already feels like “business as usual” for him as a real Formula 1 team. “We’re doing the same work as everyone else, and I have enormous respect for every single person on the team,” he says.
“I consider myself so lucky to be in this situation, where I get to work with so many really talented people – both here at the track and back home in Silverstone, Indianapolis and Charlotte. And yes, it’s a great feeling to really sense that we’re on our way now.”
Cadillac will be taking a break on Tuesday, however: due to rain on the second day of shakedown testing in Barcelona, the team will not be taking to the track and will be using its two remaining days for other purposes.
